As of 1 April

BP oil group appoints Meg O’Neill as first female ceo

Per 1 april 2026 treedt Meg O’Neill aan als ceo van BP. Foto: BP

Oil giant BP has appointed Meg O’Neill as ceo. She is the first female ceo in BP’s history and also the first woman to head one of the world’s five largest oil groups.

American Meg O’Neill takes over from Canadian Murray Auchincloss, who had been at BP’s helm since January 2024. Auchincloss decided to resign from his position with immediate effect; the reason for his departure is not yet known. O’Neill will succeed Auchincloss on 1 April 2026. Until then, Carole Howle will assume Auchincloss’s duties as interim ceo.

Meg O’Neill is currently ceo of Australia’s Woodside Energy. BP describes that since her appointment in 2021, she has helped grow the company into the largest energy company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. Before joining the company in 2018, O’Neill spent 23 years at ExxonMobil.

‘Accelerating strategic vision’

BP said in a press release that the board believes this transition provides an opportunity to accelerate the strategic vision and make the company simpler, more efficient and profitable. “Progress has been made in recent years, but more rigour and diligence is needed to make the necessary transformations and maximise value for our shareholders.”

The CEO change comes at a turbulent time when the company is under pressure from investors, including hedge fund Elliott. BP is trying to increase profits and cut costs as it bets again on oil and gas. In August, the company launched a study on how best to develop or sell its oil and gas business. In November, the company announced that third-quarter underlying profit fell less than expected.

In the Netherlands, BP announced this spring that it was selling its three hundred service stations to industry peer Catom, as part of a $20bn divestment programme.

Also read:

This article was automatically translated from the Dutch language original to English (British).

Author: Nina Koelewijn

Source: MobilityEnergy.com

E-mail

Related posts

On mobility square WashKing opens branch at Multi Traffic Point Hoorn in May

A new branch of WashKing is expected to open at the Zevenhuis mobility square in Hoorn-Noord in May 2026. The carwash is part of the Multi Traffic Point Hoorn, a multifunctional location where mobility and hospitality come together.
Bovag and Drive over connection summit Grid operator Tennet warns of connection freeze: ‘Bad news for energy transition’

Grid operator Tennet is warning of a connection freeze in the provinces of Utrecht, Gelderland and Flevoland, as the high-voltage grid in these provinces has reached its limits. Trade associations Bovag and Drive said in a response to Mobility Energy they fear a delay in the energy transition.
Hydrogen ride to The Hague Almere up for hydrogen station in Flevoland: ‘Breaking the chicken-and-egg situation’

A column of 45 hydrogen cars left Almere on Saturday for The Hague to draw attention to a glaring shortcoming: Flevoland is the only province without a hydrogen filling station. “We need to break the chicken-and-egg situation”.
'Lack of clear rationale' Unrest at BP dealers after Catom takeover: ‘fuel margins sharply increased’

There has been unrest among independent BP dealers acquired by Catom over a ‘substantial’ increase in margins on fuel from 1 January. According to several operators, who wished to comment only anonymously, the margin has been increased by several cents per litre in Catom’s favour.